January 1, 2013

As reflections on a year passing and a new one entering tend to do, yesterday’s thoughts about not resolutions focused mostly on things that in one way or another I want to do a little differently. It occurs to me that this rollover of the calendar is a good time to spend a few minutes on the things I have in my life that are already sustaining. In other words, it’s not Thanksgiving, but I’m grateful.

My wife and I love one another and she supports me every day. She is far smarter than I am, level-headed, thoughtful and vibrant. She and I are partners, truly, and I am better and happier for it.

We have a beaming little boy who lights up our lives. He has given us some scares but he is healthy. Every day he startles me with an observation about his world, with his deep brown eyes and his quiet & constant voice.

Our jobs are rewarding and safe. I work with smart people who challenge me and to whom the work I do is important. The organization I work for produces something valuable and I feel good about that. I will remind myself of this as I approach the crunch time of a significant project over the next couple of months or so.

I live in a town that I love and that offers all kinds of things to me, my wife and our son.

We worry about saving enough, but we are not hungry. And I worry about the world that our son will find waiting for him someday. But our home is warm when it is dark and cold winter outside.

All these things I will carry into 2013. I’ll forget them and I will be at times impatient, anxious and frustrated; yet all these things that help to anchor – but also lift – my life are more persistent than those troubles. So on into the morning of January One.